September 1st saw the official start of the 2023 Eurovision season, and some established artists are already rumored to be considering participation. In Spain, one Eurovision alum has expressed interest in competing to represent her country again.
You may remember the Spanish singer Soraya from her participation in Eurovision 2009, where she represented the Iberian nation with the song “La noche es para mi”. After a 24th place finish in the Grand Final, she told Formula TV that “I lived the Eurovision experience already and I don’t want to go back. Soraya also made her dissatisfaction with RTVE’s creative direction clear in 2021, saying that she cannot rewatch her Moscow performance.
However, perhaps due to Spain’s impressive Grand Final result in 2022 and the success of the revamped Benidorm Fest national selection, Soraya is now open to competing again in the future. “We don’t know what could happen. We’ll see… let’s see what happens, let’s see if we surprise you. I haven’t said no, but I haven’t said yes either. I’m going to leave it there…,” said the singer in an interview with Semana Magazine earlier this summer.
Soraya has been busy this summer recording new music, with her latest single “Segunda parte” set to be released later this month. The single is composed and produced by Ander Pérez who famously co-wrote Beth’s Eurovision 2003 song “Dime” alongside Andermay bandmate Amaya Martínez. He is also responsible for Natalia Lacunza’s OT 2018 song “La clave“. Pérez did hint on Twitter that there are some hit songs that he plans to submit, saying “There is another song that, whether you participate or not, is a hit that I’m looking forward to [you] hearing.”
Even prior to Eurovision, Soraya was no stranger to music competitions. Before she won Spain’s national final Eurovisión 2009: El retorno, she had her big break in 2005 after placing second in the fourth series of Operación Triunfo. By coincidence, the reality show known locally as OT has doubled as a Eurovision preselection twice in the last five years.
Last year Spain revived Benidorm Fest to select their Eurovision 2022 participant following the internal selection of Blas Canto, leading to Chanel winning the selection and going on to place 3rd in Turin with “Slo-Mo”.
Would #YOU like to see Soraya compete at Benidorm and possibly Eurovision again? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our discord, or on our forum page!
Source: Eurovision-Spain